Social Justice Peer Educators

This program will be piloting in the Fall of 2018 with six peer educators. Check out the informational flyer and stay tuned for future announcements!

Intergroup Dialogue

Gonzaga's IGD is a collaborative program supported by the division of Student Development, the office of the Dean for Student Engagement, the office of the Chief Diversity Office, and housed within UMEC. This year we are excited to offer multiple intergroup dialogues for students as well as a selection of learning circles for our faculty and staff.

Sign-ups are closed for the Spring Semester. Watch Morning Mail or check back in early September for Fall Group Announcements.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is an Intergroup Dialogue?

Intergroup Dialogues (IGD) are prolonged (10 week) small group discussions between different groups (e.g. students of color and white students, LGBT students and heterosexual students, etc.) which are led by trained facilitators who create a safe space for intergroup interaction to take place. IGDs can be characterized as face-to-face discussions that are open, honest, challenging, and reflective around issues that exist between groups. Each group is ideally comprised of equal representation of majority and underrepresented participants surrounding each topic.

Who are the facilitators?

Each group is co-facilitated by a combination of trained staff members and faculty. All facilitators completed training in active listening, conflict management, group processes, and social identity issues prior to the beginning of the dialogues. In each group, one facilitator is a member of the majority identity being explored and the other is a member of the underrepresented identity to ensure balance within the group

Time Commitment

IGD is an eight to ten-week, two hour per week, time commitment. The sessions begin approximately three weeks into the semester with groups offered both in the fall and spring semesters. Attendance will be taken at each session. Many faculty members use IGD as an assignment or to offer extra credit for their courses. At the end of each session, there will be fifteen minutes available for reflection.

What are the benefits?

By engaging in the IGD program, participants will:

engage in meaningful, structured interactions between students of diverse backgrounds

increase understanding and awareness of themselves, groups they belong to, and others from different identities

become familiar with intergroup issues and challenges related to specific identities in relation to national and global issues

critically reflect on personal and shared identity experiences

practice the techniques of dialogues

become informed and active global citizens

Groups Topics:

Race: This group will explore issues related to race and ethnicity in the United States today. Current events as well as societal structures will be examined, alongside personal identity.

Gender: Participants in the gender group will have the opportunity to dialogue on issues of gender, sexuality, and the role of gender in society, specifically focusing on the culture within the United States.